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The 20th century was to be a period of great positive development as well as great trauma and anguish for Ethiopia. In the late 1800s, there were to be threats and incursions from both the Italians (with a great and memorable victory for the Ethiopians over the Italian troops at Adwa in 1896) and the Dervishes from the Sudan (with another Ethiopian victory in 1889). It was to be Emperor Menelik II who was to take Ethiopia into the modern world of the 20th century. He chose the site for his new capital of Addis Ababa - his 'New Flower' - and set to creating a modern country with electricity, telephones, schools, hospitals and a railway. In world terms, it was to be Emperor Haile Selassie, crowned in 1930, who was to make Ethiopia a known world power. He held his country together as a nation through the Italian occupation from 1936 to 1941, made good relations with European monarchs and statesmen, and spoke up boldly for his people in the League of Nations. He survived as monarch until 1974 when he was overthrown and murdered by the Derg, the Communist regime under the military colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, and Ethiopia was plunged into a stagnating 17 years of oppressive and repressive dictatorship. The great famines of 1972-4 and 1984-5 were to bring the country to its knees and to bring it also to the concern of the entire world thanks to resounding media coverage. In 1991, Mengistu was at last driven out of the country, the Communist regime fell and the long journey towards democracy was started. After a period of transitional government under Meles Zenawi, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was proclaimed in 1995 and elections were held with Meles Zenawi being re-elected to leadership. This progress continues strongly today. The three-year border dispute with Eritrea that erupted in 1998 did little to help the economic stability of either country but, with the help of UN peace-keeping forces, this problem seems to be resolving itself and Ethiopia looks forward to a period of strong economic development and growth. v Have you signed our Guestbook? Email | Top
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Challoner's, Fasiledes, Amersham, Buckinghamshire